The Safety market is overrun with talent

[dplank]

Poles gotta be drooling at this as it's a core need and the abundance of talent is going to leave some good players without dance partners. There's a great deal to be had out there if Poles stays patient, which is his M.O.!

[LacertineForest]

Yeah, there have been some surprising cuts - seems like a great opportunity for Poles to really make the secondary special.

[Moriarty]

My preference is almost always to draft, but the pickings aren't very good.

An underpriced FA may be very welcome.

[wab]

An underpriced FA may be very welcome.

What are those?

[LacertineForest]

An underpriced FA may be very welcome.

What are those?

Guys signed after the draft and have nobody else bidding for their services? Guessing he really means someone like TJ Edwards who comes here for less than they were projected to make on the open market.

[Grizzled]

An overabundance of guys at the position. Some will be signed during the initial free agency period but enough won't to allow Poles to negotiate contracts with them. Maybe guys who will play on the one year prove-it deal trying to get more the following year.

[The Marshall Plan]

I want to go back to the halcyon days of when we had both Dix and Bush back there at safety.

[Heinz D.]

There's a great deal to be had out there if Poles stays patient, which is his M.O.!

Huh?

The Bears are flush with cash, even after after the Johnson signing. We don't have to get a guy for cheap, and, in fact, I'd rather they didn't. WR does still have to be addressed, as does (maybe?) center...but there should be enough cash and cap space to make it work.

[dplank]

There's a great deal to be had out there if Poles stays patient, which is his M.O.!

Huh?

The Bears are flush with cash, even after after the Johnson signing. We don't have to get a guy for cheap, and, in fact, I'd rather they didn't. WR does still have to be addressed, as does (maybe?) center...but there should be enough cash and cap space to make it work.

lol...yikes. If you can get a good player for cheaper than normal, that's a good thing no matter what your cap situation. We have limited $$, and if we don't spend big on S then maybe we can make a splash signing on the DL. It's not just about cash this year, there's also future years to think about, and getting a good price on a good player is simply good business. Also the fact that the market is saturated means he can wait it out and still be sure to get a really good player. This is GM 101 stuff man.

[Heinz D.]

lol...yikes. If you can get a good player for cheaper than normal, that's a good thing no matter what your cap situation. We have limited $$, and if we don't spend big on S then maybe we can make a splash signing on the DL. It's not just about cash this year, there's also future years to think about, and getting a good price on a good player is simply good business. Also the fact that the market is saturated means he can wait it out and still be sure to get a really good player. This is GM 101 stuff man.

I think the chance that Poles makes a "splash signing on the DL" is rather small. He has a TON of money invested in the DE position as it is...and he's not going to nab an expensive DT, as he's just spent a lot of draft capital on it. That's GM 101 stuff, right there.

Also, we need another quality safety to make Flus' D work properly. I could be proven wrong about all that, weirder things have happened, but as of now, I'm pretty sure safety (in FA) is a higher priority than DL.

[southdakbearfan]

lol...yikes. If you can get a good player for cheaper than normal, that's a good thing no matter what your cap situation. We have limited $$, and if we don't spend big on S then maybe we can make a splash signing on the DL. It's not just about cash this year, there's also future years to think about, and getting a good price on a good player is simply good business. Also the fact that the market is saturated means he can wait it out and still be sure to get a really good player. This is GM 101 stuff man.

I think the chance that Poles makes a "splash signing on the DL" is rather small. He has a TON of money invested in the DE position as it is...and he's not going to nab an expensive DT, as he's just spent a lot of draft capital on it. That's GM 101 stuff, right there.

Also, we need another quality safety to make Flus' D work properly. I could be proven wrong about all that, weirder things have happened, but as of now, I'm pretty sure safety (in FA) is a higher priority than DL.

Center and safety signings seem more likely.

[dplank]

We will sign a S absolutely, there’s just zero need to spend heavy on one when there’s a dozen starters sitting there looking for work. It has diminished value, like RB, proven by simply looking at the market trend. Poles will not be the guy spending big at S.

Meanwhile, the best DL will fly off the shelf at premium price points. Poles doesn’t like to spend heavy so he may not do it, but he’s got two OTs on rookie deals so I’d apply those cash savings to another impact DL. Poles GM strategy appears to be to draft high into premium position groups so he doesn’t have to buy them at a premium on the FA market, so he may choose to draft one high instead. Latu would be my guy if so.

I kind of view high $$ FAs and Top 15 draft picks similarly, those are the “big chips” Poles has to play with. I expect Poles to address DL with a big chip, and S with a smaller bet.

[Heinz D.]

Center and safety signings seem more likely.

For sure. And I'd be mighty surprised if that didn't happen. (But we don't know if Poles considers Bates a starting center, so there's that.)

We will sign a S absolutely, there’s just zero need to spend heavy on one when there’s a dozen starters sitting there looking for work. It has diminished value, like RB, proven by simply looking at the market trend. Poles will not be the guy spending big at S.

I don't know, to be honest. Also, if we were able to sign Winfield, I think you might change your tune a little.

But, still, that doesn't mean you don't have a point. We can get an enormous upgrade over Eddie Jackson, for a fraction of the price. (I'm VERY interested in seeing what happens with Jackson, btw.)

Meanwhile, the best DL will fly off the shelf at premium price points. Poles doesn’t like to spend heavy so he may not do it, but he’s got two OTs on rookie deals so I’d apply those cash savings to another impact DL. Poles GM strategy appears to be to draft high into premium position groups so he doesn’t have to buy them at a premium on the FA market, so he may choose to draft one high instead. Latu would be my guy if so.

I kind of view high $$ FAs and Top 15 draft picks similarly, those are the “big chips” Poles has to play with. I expect Poles to address DL with a big chip, and S with a smaller bet.

And I don't think Poles will care. The big chip he'll use will most likely be #9, on Turner or Verse.

But of course, I was convinced of that last year, too...

[dplank]

This would make sense imo

https://apple.news/AKXdXCgCtQrSi1d4hpE8fgA

[dplank]

On C - the Master Bates move implies drafting a C to me. Nothing certain of course, but Bates sets a performance floor that is acceptable and allows us to draft a C without having to play him Day 1 unless he proves he’s ready for that. Signing two FA Cs seems odd, but maybe

[Heinz D.]

This would make sense imo

https://apple.news/AKXdXCgCtQrSi1d4hpE8fgA

He'd be great. The guy that Denver just cut (Jefferson?) might be a good choice, too.

[southdakbearfan]

On C - the Master Bates move implies drafting a C to me. Nothing certain of course, but Bates sets a performance floor that is acceptable and allows us to draft a C without having to play him Day 1 unless he proves he’s ready for that. Signing two FA Cs seems odd, but maybe

I think poles may go for a starting in FA C, making Bates the primary backup to 3 interior spots.

Poles MO through two drafts is fill as many holes as possible so he can have freedom to draft and move around in the draft, so far.